MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

        CENTER FOR CANCER RESEARCH

  77 MASSACHUSElTS AVENUE, CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS 02139

May 22, 1975

Dr. Fred Ikle
United States Arms Control

Washington, D.C. 20451

and Disarmament Agency

Dear Dr. Ikle:

I am writing to you on behalf of the American members of

the "Organizing Committee for an International Conference on
Recombinant DNA Molecules", a committee of the Assembly of Life
Sciences of the National Research Council.

  It has become evident recently that a new technique of
molecular biology, the ability to construct recombinant DNA
molecules, could allow the design of new biological agents com-
bining characteristics from different organisms.  The potential
for creation of new agents of biologicnl- r~~rfirz is 5zhcz~iit In
thls technology, At rhe recene, Confereiicr oil Recombinant DNA
Molecules in Asilomar, California, this question was not dis-
cussed because we were more concerned about the potential public
health consequences of current research using this methodology.

Now that the Asilomar Conference is behind us, we have become

concerned whether existing International treaties cover  the use
of modern techniques of biology to design new weapons of war.
Specifically, we wish to know if the Biological Weapons Conven-
tion is relevant.
opmentalwork on biologicalweapons,  it would seem to ban use of
recombinant DNA technology for such purposes. I refer to Article
I which says:

Because the Convention appears to ban any devel-

Each State Party to this Convention undertakes
never in any circumstances to develop ... microbial
or other biological agents, or toxins whatever
their origin or method of production, of types and
in quantities that have no justification for pro-
phylactic, protective or other peaceful purposes;

Dr. Fred Ikle

May 22, 1975

My question to you is whether it would be United States

policy that Article I prohibits production of recombinant
DNA molecules for purposes of constructing biological weapons.
I also wonder whether you would see any reason why other
signatories would not interpret the Convention in a similar
fashion.

For your information the names and addresses of the other

American members of the Committee are given below:

Dr. Paul Berg, Department of Biochemistry, Stanford

University, School of Meclielne, Stanford, California
(Chairman of the Committee)

Dr. Maxine Singer, Laboratory of Biochemistry, National

Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20014.

Dr. Richard Roblin, Infectious Disease Unit, Massachusetts

General Hospital, Boston, Mass.

Sincerely,

DB/mts

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-9

David Baltimore
American Cancer Society
Professor of Microbiology